The Different Kinds of Identity Theft

By Amanda RandellPublished: Saturday, November 7th, 2009

One of the most dreadful crimes that you may experience is being a victim of identity theft. Whenever you became a victim of this kind of crime, surely, you would suffer from disastrous consequences that you have never imagined. This is because of the fact that it is your identity that is actually being stolen. In this case, not only do you suffer from economic disadvantage, but also, your reputation will likewise be damaged. Therefore, knowing facts about identity theft and properly preventing it is a must for every consumer.

Remember that all consumers have chances of falling victim to this crime. However, adeptly knowing the facts about identity theft leads to more effective prevention, which in turn may spell the difference between being the next victim of this crime or not. Remember that there are a lot of consumers who already became victim of this crime just because they where not able to prevent it. And the most likely reason behind this situation is that they were actually ignorant of facts about identity theft.

Basically, identity theft is a kind of crime wherein thieves are able to steal your identity. One of the most important facts about identity theft is that it actually comes in many forms. Remember that even for normal consumers, they actually jeep so many personal accounts. This is because it is already a necessity. In this case, consumers may have a credit card account, a social security account, a driver’s licence account, and a medical insurance account all at the same time. And facts about identity theft have already proven that thieves are already able to steal all of them.

Here then are the most common forms of identity theft:

Credit Identity Theft
In this kind of identity theft, thieves are actually able to have possession of your credit card number, and have essentially stolen your credit card account. This would surely lead you to a disastrous financial situation. This is because in credit identity theft, thieves are actually able to make malicious financial transaction, all in your name, with the possibility of using up all of your finances.

Driver’s License Identity Theft
In this kind of identity theft, thieves are actually able to steal your driver’s licence. In this case, every traffic violation that thieves may have done will all be recorded in your account. Therefore, it is you who will suffer the consequences.

Medical Identity Theft
This is one of the most dangerous kinds of identity theft. In it, thieves are able to get medical treatment and consultation using the benefits in your medical insurance account. This may taint your reputation, while denying you to use your medical insurance coverage in times of nee and emergency.

Character Identity Theft
This is one of the most common kinds of identity theft. In it, thieves are able to do crimes in your name, such as issuing bouncing checks or swindling other people. This will surely taint your reputation, for you suffer from having criminal records in your name with you nothing to do about it.

Social Security Number Identity Theft
In this case, thieves are able to get jobs using your social security number and your identity. Therefore, all of the taxes involved will be charged to you, making you lose a lot of dollars.